it's getting a little old now

last week i predicted that by sunday, i would be done with the tomatoes. when i didn't make any progress sunday evening, i told myself i would kick butt monday night. well now it is tuesday morning and i still have half a lug of tomatoes.

they look so innocent in small groups

clarification: half a lug of very ripe tomatoes and several bowlfuls of not-yet-ripe 'maters. friday i wasn't sick of tomatoes, but now its tuesday and i am pretty close.

so much more daunting in large numbers

so with tomatoes still on the mind, i make these recommendations.

canning the tomatoes whole was simple but took a fair amount of hands on time, compared to roasting and saucing them. i think it is a task best done earlier than the last-ditch effort—a lot of the tomatoes i used were a little mealy and a little hollow, next year i will aim for 'peak season.'

sorting them sunday night was an excellent place to start but i think no one would be harmed if i reiterate—check your produce! i had several with only a single ominous black spot that somehow just didn't sit right with me, when i would cut them open they would be molding. yeech.

along those lines, don't hesitate to cull the uglies. the ones i roasted and sauced i let be a little more dinged up than others, but if i didn't feel right about one or another i tossed it. this is the joy of having chickens, i feel a lot less guilty. there is just no reason to take the time and effort to preserve spoiling vegetables.

the end is in sight but they always say the last mile is the hardest.